Wichita eagle., 1887-12-31
SAVED FROM THE SEA

Mr.. Richard Ryder. attorney at law with
cry meager practice, reclined uDon a lounge
in his bachelor room. holding az open lettcl
in his hand. 1t was pretty, well furnished
room IN the front Of a house Oh one Of III.
most fashionable up town streets in New
York, and presented such q cheerful appear
ance that We might fairly suppose that ever
n bachelor lawyer could he happy within it,
limits. Iet Richard Ryder was fer from
being contented, and the letter in his hand
was the cause Of his dissatisfied frame d
mind:
RED SHELL BAy-NOyDAY.
DEAREST DICK: 1t Is 4 long timesiaco
wrote you, but l hope you have not thought
very i'll Of me. I could not write before, and
now it Is almost breaking my heart. l can
never be your wife, Dick, for | am going tc
marry Walter Roci,weil-aud : hate him
Oh, Dick, my love, how can ever marry
that man when my heart is yours! Vet |
must, | must. Do not scOrn me, Dick but
pity me. VIII you come and see ne once
more, dear, before thenE Ii so, come on
Thursday. MILDRED
1t was now Tuesday evening, and Dick
wondered what good could come Of another
visit 70 his love. Dick RYDER was good
hearted fellow. and loved Mildred Trevor
dearly, but he felt q little sore over. the coz
tents OF her letter He vas pretty well ac-
quaiuted with the circumstances which lei
up to this decision of Iildred's. The Trevor
had been rich and bad raised their only
daughter amid all the lux Iry and refinement
which wealth could command Two years
before cur story opens, however, 3lr Trevor
had died, leaving bis wife and daught.r
To H.
case.
Mildred herself loved wealth and afluence,
but her mother much more so. The latter
had lee her daughter TO believe that the one
object now to be attained by her was rich
husband. So when Walter Rockwell. a
wealthy younG merchant. offered his hand in
marriage she accepted his offer She never
loved hiU-never pretended to love him-but
then up 10 thar time she had never loved any
one. And then Dick Ryder, handsome, clever
and good hearted, came upon the scene. and
Mildred Trevor loved him and he loved her.
Perhaps ii Mildred had been left to herself
and her feelings in tue matter she would have
broken her engagement with Rockwell and
married Dick Bat strong outside influence
was brought to bear upon her. especially pv
her mother Mr.. Rockwell, 700, pressed bis
ding, while Dicks practice grew very slowly.
So the end Of j. all was the letter which Dick
nov held Ia his hand
Mr. Ryder could not make up his mind
that evening as to whetlGc or not it would
lie wise for him to 50 to Red Shell bay. and
retired 10 spend tine night in troubled dreams
of Mildred and the Rockwell ogre
Next morning be wgS no nearer a solution
ba
lie remembered that he had promised TO see
his chun, Tom Stevenson, embark on the
EuuIia for Europe He hurried 10 the pier
and found his friend. They chat3ed away
amid the hustle and din around them. and
just as the sailors began to clear the decks of
those who were not passengers Stevenson
said:
by the way, Dick, I heard something q
day or TWO ago OK your rival. Rockwell.
heard b. was married 10 an English girl in
London year or TWO ago and did not use
her very well. l think there is more truth
than 1ic,Ioa IL the report, too
Step of the gangnay, sir, said one of the
ships officers to Dick, giving tina; young rl..u
a gentle shove on Jhe bier.
Buo Dick was aroused by his friends re-
cital and at the risk OF being noticed by the
Mr. Stevenson appearse., . TIE side Of tie
steamer. Try ana learn al you can Of that
matter, Tom, Tor Gods sake and telegraph
me.
An right" replied Stevenson. as il So
bad as that! Well goodby. old fellow. III
moi forget But Dick WIS too mlca en-
crossed ia his own thoughts to bid his friend
"goodhy" or wish him bon voyage One
thine Gfrf- Es,-.;.r ,.,--I,-..l
so down to Red Shell bay anu lie would start
that very evening.
Red Shell bay is an ont of tue yvav Quiet
little summer resort on the New England
coast Besides the one small hotel there are
perhaps dozen cottages altogether too III
significant place for the railroad 10 include
along its line. So the iron horse passed Red
Shell bay full ten miles to the westward. and
communication wiki New York ana Boston
Is kept up by means Of steamer, which. dur
ing the summer months, makes b.-yreekly
trips
This was Wednesday. and the steamer left
New y FORK Tuesdays and Fridays 50 II Dici,
would be at He'd Shell bay on Thursday DE
must take the train 70 Dcrbyvile and wall,
or drive tie additional ten miles. well
thought ne. Il have often walked It before.
walk over early in the morning"
However. Diol. missed the night train and
the train that left New Work on THURSDAY
morning dld not bring him - Derbyville
until o'clock il the afternoon. Meanwhile
he had teleEraphei 10 Miss Trevor:
"Wil walk over from Derbyvine THURSDAY
evening. Try and meet me al me old place
The DsIbvville road lay for moro than two +
1,-., - -. -. -TE
tered the seaside village Of Red Shell BAY
Dick had been won't to leave the highway
and take 10 the sands, where Mildred had
several times met him TO bear him company
at the close Of his walk
1t was iust shutdown when Dick cana 70 +
the point here he usually Jeff the roaG for
the beach, and although it was the close OF = .
sUlt-y day il AugusJ, the ocean appeared IN .
usually sulien, while the say looked Wild with
that strange mixture II thick blsc&ness and 4.
fiery reNineSs which we sometimes see before
a terrible storm.
Dick began TO think that he was in for
wet skin, if Tor nothing else, and hoped that
Mildred had not started out. Hardly had
the hope escaped his thoughts when from his
elevated position be saw IN the fading light,
perhaps q quarter CT s. mile down the shore.
the well remembered girl;sh R~ure-1ildred.
He qpiekenei his footsteps, and as speedily IS
possible descended TO the beach. Il did net
take him more than two minutes, hut in tha.
short space Of time tie stormy twilight
hanged 10 piiclv darkness. icwaS feart,...v
iark-so dark that Dick could not see tie
waves, though he could feel the sIrf break {;
MS feet All Il was & nigh tise, too, and
It'll running IL